Former Perth man passes away in Canada home

Oct 30 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PIONEER from Perth who helped develop new towns in North America has died at his home in Canada.

John Fraser McColl was born in the Fair City on June 12, 1925, and joined the Royal Navy Submarine Corp on leaving school during the Second World War.

He later moved to Venezuela, where he worked for accounting firm Price Waterhouse then Royal Dutch Shell.

Mr McColl travelled extensively in the Middle East and other parts of the world searching for new oil fields, before moving to Canada in the 1960s.

There he worked for various businesses, including Edmonton-based Hylog Oil Equipment.

He became an active developer in Victoria, where he helped create the Broadmead and Wedgewood communities, and later went on to develop further new towns throughout British Columbia, Florida and Colorado.

Mr McColl, who was one of the founding partners in Perth-based Stagecoach Buses UK, invested in his passion for ice hockey by buying his local club, Victoria Cougars.

He also bred race horses and enjoyed playing bridge and golf.

Mr McColl, who was 84, died peacefully surrounded by family on October 10 in Victoria, British Columbia, and a celebration of his life was held at the city’s Uplands Golf Course.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years Denise, his three children, nine grandchildren and his sister, Winnie.